Restaurant owner celebrates birthday with 510-foot-long cheesesteak

A Philadelphia restaurant owner celebrated his birthday and a return from lockdown in the most Philadelphia way possible — a 510-foot-long cheesesteak.

Rene Kobeitri, owner of Rim Cafe, said it was the longest Philly cheesesteak in the world, breaking the previous record of 480 feet.

Kobeitri told CNN that chefs from across the United States came to help prepare the feast, bringing their own international take on the classic sandwich.

“Each chef had his own station. We had Brazilian. We had Australian. We had Chinese,” Kobeitri said. “They made ravioli cheesesteak. I never saw it in my life.”

Kobeitri said it took 500 pounds of meat and two hours to prepare the record-breaking sandwich, which shut down three blocks.

But the food didn’t last long.

“Less than one hour — everything gone,” Kobeitri said.

This was more than a birthday party, though. Kobeitri said rather than focusing on breaking a record, he wanted the celebration to be a chance to bring people together after more than a year of isolation.

“The only competition for me — make people happy and bring everybody together,” he said.